Zoe Ball reveals she has been battling a painful health condition after announcing her departure from BBC Radio 2 Breakfast show

Zoe Ball has revealed she struggles with a painful health condition most days, leaving her with ‘terrible’ headaches.

The DJ and presenter, 54, announced she was quitting her breakfast show earlier this month to ‘focus on family’, handing over the reins to her ‘bestie’ Scott Mills.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday, Zoe shared with fans that her early wake-up calls have worsened because she is in excruciating pain from TMJ.

TMJ stands for temporomandibular joint, the joint that connects your lower jaw to your skull in front of each ear.

TMJ disorders (TMDs) are a group of conditions that affect the TMJ and the muscles that control jaw movement.

Symptoms include jaw, neck and shoulder pain, headaches, limited jaw movement or blocking, dizziness and vision problems.

On Wednesday, Zoe shared with fans that she wakes up most days in pain from TMJ

The DJ and presenter, 54, announced she was quitting her breakfast show earlier this month to ‘focus on family’ as she handed the reins to her ‘bestie’ Scott Mills

Zoe uploaded a photo of herself before and after a facial to relax muscles, writing: ‘I have TMJ and wake up most days with a horrible headache from tension and jaw clenching.

‘I am so grateful to Helen @thesculptresslondon for her magic. this is my face after seeing her, check out my face before – yikes – photo 2. I can’t recommend her enough. she also has the best playlists. thanks H and @just.__.tiff for the intro.’

Zoe was the BBC’s highest-paid female presenter in 2023/2024 with a salary between £950,000 and £954,999, placing her second on the list of highest-earning talent behind Gary Lineker, according to the company’s annual report published in July was published. .

The presenter had mysteriously been absent for six weeks host over the summer — with Scott as her replacement — before returning in September.

Zoe will host her final gig on December 20 before Scott, who currently presents Radio 2’s weekday afternoon show from 2pm to 4pm, starts fronting the program from early January.

Announcing the news to listeners on her morning show, she said: ‘After six years of fun times with all of you on the breakfast show, I’ve decided it’s time to leave the early alarm calls behind and start a new chapter. ‘

The veteran presenter said she was ‘delighted’ to unveil her good friend Scott as her replacement, telling listeners: ‘Scott and I go way back to our Radio 1 days when he would do the early mornings before me. He has been a good friend for years and I am very happy that he is taking over the Breakfast Show.

‘Breakfast has always been his dream, and what a year he has had: from racing around the world to his beautiful wedding to Sam. Not only is he a brilliant producer, he’s also one of the best on radio. I can’t wait to take part in the school run!’.

Zoe uploaded a photo of herself after before (left) and after getting a facial to relax the muscles: ‘I have TMJ and wake up most days with a horrible headache from tension and jaw clenching’

As one of the company’s top earners, Zoe is sacrificing a £950,000-a-year job by quitting her radio show.

Zoe will host her final gig on December 20 before Scott Mills, who currently presents Radio 2’s weekday afternoon show from 2pm to 4pm, starts fronting the program from early January.

Scott joined his friend on her show following her announcement and said he was “extremely excited” to become a host.

He said: ‘Zoe and I have been such good friends for over 25 years now and have spent much of that time as part of the same radio family here at Radio 2 and also on Radio 1. She has done a fantastic job on this show the past six years, and I am beyond excited to be handing over the baton.

“It feels like since recording my first shows as a child in front of an audience of one, my mother, all roads since then have led to this amazing opportunity. It really is a lifelong dream come true to follow in the footsteps of Sir Terry, Chris and Zoe and become the new presenter of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.”

Now she is reportedly in talks to join streaming giant Netflix, with plans to return to her ‘TV roots’.

The presenter recently split from her long-term partner Michael Reed, 53 (2021 photo)

Zoe has two children with ex-husband Norman Cook; Woody, 23, (photo) and Nelly, 14

The presenter is no stranger to TV and has previously appeared in Celebrity Gogglebox, The Masked Dancer and, in 2023, as the frontman of the talent show Mamma Mia!.

A source said The sun: ‘After all, she sees her contemporaries such as Claudia Winkleman, Tess Daly and Davina McCall appear on primetime shows.

‘It seems there’s never been a better time to be a woman in TV presenting in your 50s, and Zoe already brings with her a huge following.’

Zoe became a household face after rising to fame in the 1990s by presenting BBC One children’s show Live & Kicking and Top Of The Pop.

In 2019 she took over hosting the Radio 2 Breakfast Show, but has now announced she wants to reduce her work commitments.

And it looks like Zoe won’t have to rush into anything, as it looks like she’ll be taking on a behind-the-scenes role.

As one of the company’s top earners, Zoe is sacrificing a £950,000-a-year job by quitting her radio show.

But she is not leaving the BBC and it is widely expected that she will continue to receive a large – albeit reduced – salary.

A source told The Ny Breaking: ‘It all feels like smoke and mirrors.

‘Zoe is well-liked in high society and the work is demanding; getting up at the crack of dawn for five days is difficult.

‘But the truth is she’s getting a brand new show for which she’ll be paid hundreds of thousands of pounds, despite her listening figures having plummeted.’

The veteran presenter said she was ‘delighted’ to unveil her good friend Scott as her replacement, telling listeners: ‘Scott and I go way back to our Radio 1 days when he would do the early mornings before me. He has been a good friend for years and I am very happy that he is taking over the Breakfast Show.

‘Breakfast has always been his dream, and what a year he has had: from racing around the world to his beautiful wedding to Sam. Not only is he a brilliant producer, he’s also one of the best on radio. I can’t wait to take part in the school run!’.

Scott joined his friend on her show following her announcement and said he was “extremely excited” to become a host.

He said: ‘Zoe and I have been such good friends for over 25 years now and have spent much of that time as part of the same radio family here at Radio 2 and also on Radio 1. She has done a fantastic job on this show the past six years, and I am beyond excited to be handing over the baton.

“It feels like since recording my first shows as a child in front of an audience of one, my mother, all roads since then have led to this amazing opportunity. It really is a lifelong dream come true to follow in the footsteps of Sir Terry, Chris and Zoe and become the new presenter of the Radio 2 Breakfast Show.”